Between Christmas and the Cross

I won't do this very often, but occasionally something I have written in the past will fit with something I want to share .

Between Christmas and the Cross 

There is a day set aside that we are reminded to love

There are hearts and flowers and remembrances all around

Valentine’s, as we call them, are sent and received.

Displays of affection seem to abound 

But let’s think, for a moment,

about two days that are more special

Christmas is one

And Easter the other 

God sent his son to earth as a man…..because He loves us

that Man suffered and died on a cross…..because He loves us

HE rose from the dead; was not held by the grave….because He loves us! 

This day, called Valentine’s,

that falls in between Christmas and the Cross,

should be used as a reminder of love,

the great love God has for us! 

As we hand tokens to one another

we should remember God’s example from above,

and remember the command that Jesus gave,

to love each other with that kind of love. 

                 ©Tracey Thompson 2/2006             Reworked from the 2001 writing

Between the previous poem and the following scripture I didn't think that there was too much more I could say!
 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (HCSB)
The WORLD means YOU!

 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God.  And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, for we are as He is in this world. There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:15-19 (HCSB)
We MUST respond to His love for us.

 “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love.  If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you.  No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you."
John 15:9-14(HCSB)
We love because HE commanded us to

One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, “Which command is the most important of all?”
 “This is the most important,” Jesus answered:

Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

“The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”

Mark 12:28-31 (HCSB)

Loving God with ALL that we are is FIRST and then that love will spill out to those around us!

If I speak human or angelic languagesbut do not have love,
I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
 If I have the gift of prophecy
and understand all mysteries
and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith
so that I can move mountains
but do not have love, I am nothing.
 And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor,
and if I give my body in order to boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing.
 Love is patient, love is kind.
Love does not envy,
is not boastful, is not conceited,
 does not act improperly,
is not selfish, is not provoked,
and does not keep a record of wrongs.
 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness
but rejoices in the truth.
 It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.
But as for prophecies,
they will come to an end;
as for languages, they will cease;
as for knowledge, it will come to an end.
 For we know in part,
and we prophesy in part.
 But when the perfect comes,
the partial will come to an end.
 When I was a child,
I spoke like a child,
I thought like a child,
I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man,
I put aside childish things.
 For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
Now I know in part,
but then I will know fully,
as I am fully known.

 Now these three remain:
faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.  1 Corinthians 13 (HCSB)

THIS is what Christ like love should look like!

I pray today that you can say that you claim Jesus as your Savior and you can call Him FRIEND, that you understand how much He loves you and what that love motivated Him to do.  To me it is such an awesome concept...that when Christ took the punishment for the sins of the world....that was MY sin.  If I had been the only person in the world He still would have died on that cross for my sins....if YOU were the only person in the world He would have died on the cross for YOUR sins!

What do we do with that knowledge, that understanding, with that kind of love????

We pass it along.....we LOVE!  it is not complicated...it may not be easy, but it is not complicated!

We love Him with every fiber of our being, and then we show that to as many people as we can in the time God gives us here on earth!

AMEN??

AMEN!!

You have already gotten the BEST valentine ever!!

Winter Soul

It is that time of year; where it can be or just feel; cold, frozen, bleak.  
Have you ever felt that way, down in your soul?  Been discouraged, feel like your soul is frozen?

You have put me in the lowest part of the Pit,in the darkest places, in the depths.
 Your wrath weighs heavily on me;
You have overwhelmed me with all Your waves. Selah
 You have distanced my friends from me;
You have made me repulsive to them.
I am shut in and cannot go out.
 My eyes are worn out from crying.
Lord, I cry out to You all day long;
I spread out my hands to You  Psalm 88:6-9 (HCSB)


So, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
   do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
    during the time of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors tested and tried me,
    though for forty years they saw what I did.'

That is why I was angry with that generation;
    I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
    and they have not known my ways.’
So I declared on oath in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”

 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts
    as you did in the rebellion.”    Hebrews 3:7-15

I feel like that is the WINTER of our SOUL, when our hearts feel hard and frozen, when we feel we are alone or have been abandoned.

BUT we should not be sad or discouraged during this time, without winter there would be no spring!

God is with us even in, especially in,  those COLD and dark times.  He uses those times to draw us to Him. It is a time when we can grow closer and learn to rely on Him more.

Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.  Psalm 23:4

Sometimes we can feel like we are standing in the midst of a blinding snow and can't find right direction.
Keep putting one foot in front of the other and trust God has you ..in what ever your circumstance. 

The Lord your God who goes before you will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt  Deuteronomy 1:30 (HCSB)

Trust that in your "winter" God is "growing" something new, something stronger, something better!  Seek the light and warmth of your Savior and your winter will pass.

For now the winter is past;
the rain has ended and gone away. Song of Solomon 2:11 (HCSB)

MY prayer for you....if you are feeling your "winter soul" is that you will soon feel the warmth and light of God's love!

 Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

...God is love...1 John 4:8 (HCSB)

Satisfy us in the morning with Your faithful love so  that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14 (HCSB)

Spring is coming!

Building Ice Castles

While I was out driving one day I noticed some boys building a snow fort.  Oh, I remember the days of fun doing that!  Then I thought "all that work for something that will melt as soon as a warm wind blows".
There is a town nearby that builds a huge ice castle every year for their winter carnival.  People come from all over to walk through and marvel at the large blocks of ice that they form into walls, and rooms, and doors.  And they fashion other things out of the ice like pianos, and little cars that children can sit in.
Isn't it all in vain!? To spend the hours building a snow fort or an ice castle, when it is all going to disappear at some point.
But how many of us live our lives that way; building, working, fretting, toiling at things that are only going to disappear,

 “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.  But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Matthew 6:19-21 (HCSB)

We are supposed to focus on things of heaven. 

He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”  Matthew 22:37-40 (HCSB)

We are commanded to LOVE and we must work at love.  It isn't always an easy task to love those around us, those who aren't kind to us.  But we must love as Christ loves!

Now this is His command: that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He commanded us. 1 John 3:23

If we claim to have the spirit of Christ with in us, then we need to work at producing the fruit that shows He lives in us.

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.  We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:22-26 (HCSB)

So today, this week, this year, work at things that will not melt away....but will last for all eternity!

Until next Monday!

Is It Still Christmas?!

It probably is in some homes!  Too cold to take down those outside decorations.  Life has been too crazy to get the last of the inside ornaments away.
Maybe the nativity is still in view.....now that wouldn't be such a bad thing...would it?
To have the nativity out all year to remind us that what we celebrate at Christmas is actually something we need to remember ALL year long!

 As I look at the wise men depicted in the nativities that we see, I began to ponder their "story", their journey.  They are included in the scene that we all are familiar with....though I know some people wait and add them at Epiphany.  Their journey actually STARTED with the appearance of the star, "His star"...which was at Christ's birth.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1-2 (HCSB)

It isn't known the exact time that they arrived in Bethlehem, but according to scripture,
And there it was—the star they had seen in the east! It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure.  Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother,... Matthew 2:9-11(HCSB)

Jesus was considered a child instead of a baby and they entered a house, instead of going up to a manger.
So, from this we can know that their journey took a long time.  There have been studies and research and with the assumption that they came from Persia their journey was probably 800 or 900 miles. (citation)

What struck me is that it was a long, more than likely, arduous journey that had it's dangers too; as we know they were rerouted by God so as not to cross paths with King Herod again.
 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route. Matthew 2:12 (HCSB)

What I take away from their story:

• They did not stop and decide to go back home, knowing that they missed what might have been considered the BIG event! It was about WHO was born not WHEN it happened.
• They continued on because they obviously knew the importance of worshiping this new King.
• They also seemed to trust and rely on God for their travel and their safety.
• They obviously believed the prophecy that foretold the coming of a Messiah.
• They believed He was worthy of their worship, worthy enough for gifts.
• Their gifts had significance in who they believed this Messiah was.

"Gold: A gift for a king.
Frankincense: This is obviously an incense, the burning of which represents prayer. It is used by priests, and indicates the priestly nature of the Messiah.
Myrrh: A fragrant perfume, used in embalming bodies. The inclusion of this gift can be seen as prophetic of the death of the Messiah. The three gifts together also underline the Messiah’s offices as prophet, priest and king."   Creation Today

There was worship in their travel, worship in their seeking, worship in their giving.
That is what makes every day still Christmas....every day we must celebrate the Messiah who came to save us all!
I pray for each of us....that every day we are seeking the Messiah, seeking to worship Him and striving to give Him our best!

Sorry this was later today!  See you next Monday for Coffee Time!

A Realization!

Have you ever read scripture backwards?  I have ...rather unintentionally...I will try to walk you through the process and hopefully you will come to the same REALIZATION I did!

It started with Philippians  4:13 (a very well known, well memorized verse)
  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (NKJV)

Then I was looking for another couple of verses that I like so well...and realized (because I can recall a verse, but then have a tendency to forget where it comes from!) that it was also in Philippians 4, verses 11 and 12!

 I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. (HCSB)

One more set of verses I needed brought me to Philippians chapter 4 again, starting in verse 4!

 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶ Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.⁸ Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things. ⁹ Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. (HCSB)

Well I just sat back and smiled because I love the way God uses His word,  how it is alive and looks new to me at different times!  How exciting!

Let me try to explain how I saw it that day;

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, but by being content in all things then much can accomplish much in me!
That contentment is rooted in the peace that comes from rejoicing in the Lord, giving up our worry, praying, being thankful in all things!
That peace will guard our minds and hearts from the things in the world that might cause discontent.  If we focus on the things of God, things that are; true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, of moral excellence, praise, it will bring peace.
With peace comes contentment and in contentment comes strength in Christ to accomplish all He has for us!

I know....if I had just start at the beginning of Philippians chapter 4 then all of it would flow and make perfect sense.  Go ahead and click on this link to read the whole chapter.  Philippians 4

.....but for me, reading it in "reverse" allowed me to have a new realization in how the verses all worked together!  Isn't GOD wonderful! 
Don't ever get bored or even routine in reading God's word, because He can use it every day to show you something new!
God's word is living, flowing, moving

For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, ... Hebrews 4:12 (HCSB)

since you have been born again—not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.  ²⁴ For

All flesh is like grass,
and all its glory like a flower of the grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
²⁵ but the word of the Lord endures forever.

And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you  1 Peter 1:23-25 (HCSB)

My prayer for you this week is that you have the desire to open God's Living Word every day and read it with fresh eyes. You allow it to be new and exciting!
Until next week and Coffee with a Dear Friend!

Little Faith, Big Faith

Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

This comes from a whole section of Hebrews that talks about people and their faith and it starts off like this:

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.  For our ancestors won God’s approval by it.
By faith we understand that the universe was created by God’s command,  so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible. Hebrews 11:1-3

and then it goes on to tell about all kinds of people and their faith and what they were able to do and accomplish by their faith;

by faith Able

by faith Enoch

by faith Noah

by faith Abraham

by faith Sarah

and so on and so on.   I would encourage you to read all of  Hebrews 11

I have to admit that there are times when I have read this chapter and feel a bit discouraged, "what a daunting task to have a "big enough" faith!  I must say that most days I do not feel up to the task! 
but then I remember......
“Because of your little faith,” He told them. “For I assure you: If you have faith the size of  a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

Faith big enough to move mountains!?  It says it can be the size of a mustard seed!  I can manage that! 
We are not asked by God to have a mountain of faith, but a faith that can move mountains.
Because it is not us...it is not me WITH my faith that does the work, it is God IN my faith that moves that mountain!
PRAISE GOD!

Hebrews chapter 11 ends with this verse:
All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.  Hebrews 11:39

The words....."God has provided something better for us.....they would not be made perfect with out us!"  How amazing is that!  That something better is that our faith is made bigger....perfect with Jesus Christ!  Our belief in who HE is and what HE did for us allows our faith to be made perfect in HIM!

I don't need to be discouraged that my faith feels small.....I want it to be small so that Christ can make it HUGE and be glorified in it!

My prayer for you today is that you find your faith as small as a mustard seed, present it to God and watch Him do amazing things with it! Amen

THIS IS THE day that the LORD has made!

 This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.   Psalm 118:24 (HCSB)

In this simple verse I am reminded that there is something profound in those few words, especially  with how you emphasize them.

THIS ....right now, at this moment

IS ....reinforces a command that it is an action we must do

THE....shows exactly what the object of our focus should be

DAY....the here and now we are supposed to focus on

let us REJOICE and be GLAD....this is what we are supposed to do, we are called to look at our blessings and be grateful!

IN IT....actively immersed in the day God has given

Right now I WILL be IN  THIS MOMENT and look at it with gratitude and praise!

And how much more appropriate for today...January 1st of this new year!

choose to rejoice this first day of the new year....and each day to follow.

You have blessings from God the Father each day, if you don't think so then you need to look harder.  IF you are reading this you must have your vision...and I believe you must be breathing!

You probably have had something to eat today....(or like me....an over abundance of leftovers!)

Did you see family today?  Did you talk to anyone today?  Did you go to church today and worship?

IF you are sick, have you had some medication? or even tissues to blow your nose?  Has anyone checked in on you?

It is easier as you look for them, to find the blessings that God has poured out on you.

You have to choose to REJOICE, to look for your blessings.

 "But if it doesn’t please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh.”  

Joshua 24:15 (HCSB)

SO TODAY can you say....

 On that day it will be said,
“Look, this is our God;
we have waited for Him, and He has saved us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for Him.
Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”    Isaiah 25:9 (HCSB)

I hope so!  If you are asking "how can I show God I am grateful for my blessings?"  here is a song by Paul Baloche that answers it for me.

My New Years prayer....that I  live each day in 2017 as "A Hallelujah"! 

And it is my prayer for you as well!

What Can I Do   (just click on the title and a link will take you to the song)